The Team - New Mexico Start-Up Factory

John Chavez, Managing Director

Mr. Chavez currently serves as the Managing Director for the New Mexico Start-Up Factory I, II and III. He was the President of New Mexico Angels for over 12 years and has been an active investor for over 15 years. Under his leadership, the NM Angels had an increase of over 100% funding of investment deals in new companies. The Angels were often leading investment deals, rather than following venture capitals into them. John is also the Managing Partner of Phase One Ventures and a Partner of NMA Ventures, a forward thinking fund that is backed by the New Mexico Catalyst Fund.

Mr. Chavez has been an integral part of New Mexico’s economic development ecosystem. He is responsible for creating technology showcase forums that have allowed Angel technology partners like Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University to have the opportunity of presenting technologies available for licensing to Angel members, Venture Capitalists and guests.

In addition to funding new companies, John is an avid entrepreneur. In 2012, he co-founded the New Mexico Start-Up Factory I and successfully launched 5 companies. Today, the Start-Up Factory now has 3 portfolios and has created 13 companies all based in New Mexico.

Mr. Chavez is also the President of Tafoya & Brainerd Consultants where he helps companies, organizations and entrepreneurs with business development, financial management, operational structure, investment opportunity and progressive execution. He serves on several Boards as a member and leads several organizations as the Chair.

Prior to his involvement with the New Mexico Angels and the New Mexico Start-Up Factory, Mr. Chavez was appointed to serve as the Cabinet Secretary of the Taxation and Revenue Department for State of New Mexico by Governor Gary Johnson. Mr. Chavez held the role of Cabinet Secretary for six years and was also named the President of the Federation of Taxation Administrators for one year. John has a BA in Economics, BBA in Finance and MBA in Regulatory Economics from New Mexico State University.

Andrea M. Garcia, Vice President

Andrea currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for the New Mexico Start-Up Factory I, II and III. She works with entrepreneurs and scientists to help commercialize their innovations, create investable companies and secure funding. Andrea also works closely with research institutions to source new and promising technologies for development within the Start-Up Factory’s portfolio. With a background in marketing, employee development, leadership and operations, Andrea plays an important role in taking technologies from idea to industry within the organization’s business model.

Andrea is the former the Vice President of the New Mexico Angels, where she worked to source high growth investment opportunities, while performing due diligence and managing the investment portfolio after an equity deal had been made. Mrs. Garcia worked closely with entrepreneurs and companies seeking angel funding and mentored them through business development, marketing and the pitch presentation process while also managing the company’s community outreach and educational initiatives. In addition, Andrea is also the Chief Operations Officer for ORC Tech, LLC, the Chief Operations Officer for GPER G-1 Development Group and the Project Manager for both Osazda Energy and TNeuro Pharma.

In 2022, Andrea was awarded the Albuquerque Business First’s “40 Under 40” achievement, an honor based on individuals making an impact in the community while in a leadership role. Garcia also served in the 2022 “Scaling up Program” hosted by NASA Johnson Space Center as a Board Panelist. This program supports aspiring entrepreneurs from the NBA, MLB, MSL and WNBA by providing resources and mentorship focused on technology transfer. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the SWSX Pitch Competition, an international conference showcasing promising technologies and brilliant entrepreneurs. In 2020, Andrea was honored as an Albuquerque Business First “Woman of Influence,” a celebration in honor of women who have made a positive and influential impact in the New Mexico business community. She was also featured as one of “Three New Mexicans to Know: Leaders in Technology.” Andrea was highlighted as a special speaker for the Arrowhead Center at New Mexico State University’s “WE Mean Business” Virtual Conference, an event focused on supporting women entrepreneurs in New Mexico.

Mrs. Garcia also currently serves on the Board of Directors for All Faith’s Children’s Advocacy Center, an organization that advocates for children and families affected by trauma in the state of New Mexico. Her volunteer service also includes raising awareness for LifeROOTS and The Harbour Dream Center.

Mrs. Garcia earned a B.A., Honors Cum Laude from the University of Denver and is currently pursuing her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from New Mexico Highlands University. She is the mother of two young boys and enjoys competing in triathlons, snowboarding and playing golf with her husband.

Melissa Firestone, Company Creation Specialist

Melissa joined the New Mexico Start-Up Factory in the summer of 2021 and currently serves as the Company Creation Specialist. While working closely with John and Andrea, she assists in the creation of investible companies and in the commercialization of promising innovations.

Firestone values entrepreneurship and the creation of local companies as paramount in developing a sustainable economy. As a former small business owner and public education teacher, she knows the value of smart business development, marketing, community outreach, educational initiatives, and a personal work ethic.

As a New Mexico native, Melissa knows the importance of giving back to the local community. When asked to join the team at The New Mexico Start-Up Factory, she saw it as the perfect opportunity to use her background in marketing and company development to promote job creation within the local economy. Firestone thrives on her ability to usher technologies from idea to industry within the organization’s business model while developing a strong internal team and building out marketing initiatives.

Melissa earned a B.A. in Fine Art from the University of Colorado and later obtained her Teacher Licensure from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. Firestone and her husband are thrilled to be living in The Land of Enchantment. When she is not working at the New Mexico Start-Up Factory, you can find her teaching yoga at various studios around Albuquerque. She can also be found running, biking, hiking, and sometimes climbing rocks.

Alicia Montoya, Project Manager

Alicia works with Start-Up Factory™ as an internal project manager. She assists the NMSUF team and scientist/entrepreneurs for the newly created startup companies so the can thrive and stay on track. Alicia’s skillset includes organizing resources, establishing priorities, communicating directives, coordinating events, developing programs and performing outreach on be half of the organization.

Alicia has extensive experience at developing and maintaining schedules, incorporating contingencies into planning to ensure projects are ready to be implemented and strategies incorporated for circumventing any unexpected problems. She is adept at understanding that one stage of a project often relies on another stage meeting its deadline or maintaining its schedule. Alicia is a long term planner of projects with knowledge and experience on how to best allocate resources in order to accomplish milestones. Her primary goal to maintain a foundation that allows the New Mexico Start-Up Factory to grow and excel in its mission.

Alicia holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Mexico. She is the mother of three amazing children and in her free time, enjoys reading, hiking, traveling and organizing any and all things.